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Why This One New Thing Could Help Save the Planet from Climate Chaos
The Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (OFF Act) has a 2035 deadline for moving America to clean energy while emphasizing racial and economic justice. It’s the strongest climate bill ever, and we all need to get behind it.
By Kiley Fisher, Food & Water Watch
Here are six details that make the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act unique and necessary:
1. It’s aggressive.
Let’s be honest: we’re running out of time. The OFF Act ensures that the U.S. make a just transition to 100% clean renewable energy by 2035 (and 80% by 2027). We must act now.
We’ve already seen dramatic changes with a 1°C rise in global temperature. If we get to 2°C, climate models predict that more than a dozen irreversible tipping points could be triggered, imposing huge costs on people and planet. Scientists, activists and delegates to Paris believe we must stay below 1.5°C. The Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (OFF Act) would help keep us safely below that.
2. It’s necessary — if, you know, we want to stop extreme climate chaos.
The “leaked” copy of the National Climate Assessment shows sea level rise, accelerated temperature increase, and predicts that our agriculture and coastal communities will continue to be punished by climate and extreme weather events. The impact that Harvey had on Houston and surrounding communities is devastating and we still don’t know the full extent of the damage. More than 1000 people were killed in massive flooding in South Asia. Yet, as the earth continues to warm, extreme weather events are only going to grow worse and more frequent.
Beyond extreme weather, communities are also experiencing things like fracking-related earthquakes and fossil-fuel pollution. Companies like Exxon have tried to cover it up, but people aren’t fooled. The OFF Act is calculated to derail the destructive forces of fossil fuel corporations and instead move us to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2035.
The OFF Act is calculated to derail the destructive forces of fossil fuel corporations and instead move us to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2035.
